


A Visit From the Woods

by Lichking101



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Magic, Teen Angst, Urban Fantasy, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:48:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28990242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lichking101/pseuds/Lichking101
Summary: A girl runs away from home, only to be chased down by a horrible beast.





	A Visit From the Woods

**Author's Note:**

> This story was one that I won a competition within senior year, and was told by my sister to put it anywhere I could. I hope you enjoy it and have a good time!

Alex ran away from home and fled into the woods. She was saying goodbye to her miserable life, goodbye to her boring parents, and goodbye to the “prison system” of a school. Would anyone miss her? She doubted it, for she  _ knew _ everyone hated her. If she ran, she thought, everyone would be happier. She had packed the essentials: A flashlight, books, snacks, and all the money she had to her name: Thirty dollars and sixty-five cents.

The cool autumn air rushed through the woods as the crunching of leaves beneath her filled the silence of the night. Was that an owl hooting? A wolf snarling? A bear growling? Alex looked over her shoulder and felt like spiders were crawling all over her. No, it was only her imagination, she thought. If she could just make it to the other side of the woods, she could take a bus away from here.

Winded, Alex decided to take a break and rested under an old oak tree. The tree was gnarled, as if a large beast scratched at the bark, creating its ridges as deep and ancient as the Grand Canyon. 

“ _ Hello… _ ” Was that a whisper? Alex snapped her head up, her eyes darting at each shadow of the woods. She jumped to her feet and aimed her flashlight in the woods. 

“Is someone there?” Alex called out, her voice shaking. She looked around, peering through her thick-rimmed glasses into the shadows, and felt sweat slowly run down the back of her neck. A stick snapped, and she turned the light to her left. She saw, for a split moment, a dark, cloth-like object move away lightning fast. She backed up, and bumped into the oak tree, and felt her breath getting heavier and heavier. 

“Haha! Funny joke guys! Just… leave me alone, okay!?” Alex shouted, but only received the cool air of the harvest in reply. Her eyes darted around, hoping that it was some bird, a raven maybe? But like a mousetrap, she sprang and sprinted through the woods.

Small cuts opened on her face as she ran through the underbrush, but she didn’t care. Blood trickled down her face and arms, and she still didn’t care. Something was moving behind her as though the wind itself was chasing her down. She could hear the crashing, smashing, and snap of trees and sticks behind her. The sky was filled with dark, gloomy clouds, covering the wonder of the stars. The storm started small, a little drip here and there, but soon became a roar of thunder and flashes of lightning, as she felt her heart nearly stop when she looked behind her.

It was tall, and gangly, with long arms and legs. The hands of the thing had claws that would make a tiger blush and large, bat-like ears that ended in a point. It had large antlers, wider than its shoulders. It was wrapped in a dark robe, tattered and motheaten. It’s face, however, was the scariest part; oblong and stretched, yet still furrowed like oak bark. Jagged teeth filled its mouth, as a long, forked tongue slithered out at her. Its eyes were sunken, yet glowed with white light. Alex tried not to look behind herself and continued to run deep into the woods, and deeper into the storm.

She then heard what could only be described as the thunder of Hell, as she knew it was not the storm, for it sounded alive and primal. She heard large stomps behind her as if a horse or a bull were chasing her. Alex then saw the dead-end: a large tree at the end of the trail on the side of the large lake.

Alex climbed up the tree to get a better view through the foliage of the woods. She climbed higher and higher and immediately regretted looking down. The large beast was still hunting her down, and it wore a crown of bones. 

“Go away!” Alex yelled, frantically climbing upward. The beast shook the tree, howling with glee. Alex held onto the tree for dear life, screaming for her life. Finally, the tree splintered and fell into the lake. Alex desperately swam towards the surface and crawled out onto the shore on the other side. She looked behind her and saw the sunken eyes coming closer through the water. She ran as fast as she could, the adrenaline blocking out any pain of broken bones.

Alex could hear the creature chasing her, nearly catching up to her. She tripped and fell on the wet ground. Blood ran from her nostrils, as her vision became blurry and cracked. Alex crawled away from the woods, her head becoming light and unfocused. The monster stopped in front of Alex and slowly crept towards her. Alex backed up to a tree and stared into the creature’s glowing eyes.

“Please, don’t…” Alex covered her face, begging for mercy. Minutes passed, Alex looked up, to see the beast staring at her. It opened its jaws, and whispered,

“ _ Come with me… _ ” Alex looked at the Beast with confusion and fright,

“What?”

“ _ You hate your life, don’t you? _ ” The Beast said, “ _ Well, I offer a better life. _ ”

“What do you mean? You almost killed me!”

“ _ You were running away, and I never laid a finger on you. _ ”

“Well, why do you care?”

“ _ Because I know what it feels like to have a life that is boring and uncaring, _ ” The Beast said, “ _ And I know that I can give you a life better than that. _ ”

“And what, I live in the woods?”

“ _ What else do you have? _ ”

“I have my siblings! I have my friends! I have my parents!” Alex said,

“ _ Then why, my dear, are you running away? _ ” The beast asked. Alex looked down in thought and looked back up to see the Beast gone. She got up and walked home, knowing that she got another chance at living her life.


End file.
